Internal combustion engine



Jan. 8, 1935. v A. M. NIVEN 1,987,307

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 23, 1929 ATTORNEY.

is illustrated asapplied to a radial aircraft en- Patented Jan. 8, 1935 UNI D11 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Archie M; Niven, Detroit,Mich., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Continental Aircraft Engine-Company, a corporation of Delaware- Application September.,23, 1929', .SeriaLNo-.-394,483. b

7 Claims. (o1.'-123-'--90):

My invention-relates-to internal combustion engines and more particularly'to the valve mechw anism; driving means intermediate the crank shaft and the valve mechanism; My invention gine but I wishit to be understood that I do not limit my invention solely to engines of thisi type since the principleasembodied in my invention may be incorporated in various typ s of engines other than aircraft engines.

his the objectof my invention to improve the performanceof an engine ofthe radial type by providing an improved driving means for actu-- ating the ;valve operating mechanism; ll1- WhiCh the timing ofqthevalve mechanism with respect to the engine crankshaft is facilitated, andwhich isso constructed asto permit access to be read.- ily hadto the clutching means intermediate the valve mechanism and the crank shaft.

A further object of my invention is to facilitate moreaccurate timing of the valve .mechaenism-withrespect to the crankshaft of a radialinternal combustion engine, by providing are-- leasable' driving connection intermediate the Pivalve mechanism and crankshaft thatv permitsthe intermediate driving means to be-adjustably ,mittedto .be moved longitudinally of the; crank connected together in direct driving relation.

improved adjustable valve drivingmeans,;inter-.

mediate valve mechanism and crank shaft that may be quicklyand economically manufactured and assembled. I

For a more detailed understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form which my invention may assume, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a portion of an internal combustion engine, and showing my improved adjustable driving means arranged intermediate the valve mechanism and crank shaft;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.

In Figure 1, I have illustrated a portion of an internal combustion engine, in which a crank shaft A is supported at one end in the usual manner by a bearing 10 carried by the crank case 11, the crank shaft being provided with an extension which projects into the gear case housing 12, attached in the usual manner to the crank case.

Various mechanisms are housed within the gear case, and operatively connected with the crank shaftisplines and. tube-thereby connected to the shaft, {fOI'j driving-,rtheir'various accessory mecha A nisms and the valve pperating mechanism -AA cam-al3qis ifreelyrotatably; supported on the crank shaft and: is constructe'dgandiarranged to actu' ate the: valve operatingmechanism a fragmen 5 1..-

tary portionof which ,is illustrated in ;Fig-.,=1 and designa ed by he.1referencerl harac er. 3- Thea driving-means {for operativelyconnecting the. valve mechanism with the crank-,shaft-inc1udes, a-sleeve- 141 rotatably ,supportedvybythe crank 10: shaft andprovided with ;a gear;15,= whichwis=eneased by a sear.v 16 ofa -,cam;;drivinemech nism which also 1116111016512. gear l'ldirectly connected. 1 with the gear;;16;;,1which -m eshes; with am-internalgeanlS carried-bythe cam 1 3.; The sleeve--14 is suDpQrtedby'a b arin 19carried-by the v on wall 20 of the gear case 12, the outer end thereof provided with :the splines 21; andv the gear 15 positioned on one side of;\the.division;wall'20, while the splines are; positioned 1 on the opposite side of the division ;wall. The outerend of the crank shaft is provided-with splines 22 the crank shaft starter gear-23 being-provided"with the splined, teeth-24 arranged to enga e-the crank crank shaft indirect driving, relation, but@per-.

shaft. A starter gear 25 and a generator gear. 26- are each constructed-to meshwith thecrank shaft starter; gear-23,.thereby permitting one to rotate 6 2a the crank shafhby-actuating the generator or starter gear. A

Clutch ameans areprovidedfor connecting the crank shaft starter gear 23 to the other intermediate driving member or sleeve 14 and includes an internally splined ring 26a so constructed as to directly engage the splines 21 on the sleeve 14, and when so engaged the sleeve and crank shaft starter gear are directly connected. The driving connection between these two intermediate mem'- bers, the sleeve 14 and the crank shaft starter gear 23, may be disconnected by retracting the crank shaft starter gear; i. e. by moving the same longitudinally outward with respect to the crank shaft until the splines carried by the sleeve 14 and ring 26a are clear of each other. It may be noted that the clutch between the intermediate driving members can be released without breaking the driving connection between the crank shaft and crank shaft starter gear or between the crank shaft starter gear and the starter gear and generator gears 25 and 26 respectively. The ring 26a is preferably formed as a separate member from gear 23 and rigidly attached thereto as shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

The ring 26a is thus rigidly carried or driven by said gear, Which provides that the ring is fixed or secured relatively thereto.

In order to time the engine; 1. e. to time the valve operation with respect to the rotation of the crank shaft, the clutch between the intermediate members is first released, the crank shaft rotated relative to the valve operating mechanism until the proper timing is obtained, and then the clutch means is reengaged and locked by screwing down the nut 2'7 onto the end of the crank shaft A.

It will be noted, that the splined clutching means permits the intermediate driving members to be adjustably connected together in a plurality of relative positions. Furthermore the parts are made readily accessible it being a very simple matter to disengage the clutch between the intermediate driving members by retracting the member, that is geared to the crank shaft, the removal of the cover plate 28 permitting access to be easily had to such mechanism.

I have thus provided a structure, which may be readily and economically manufactured and assembled to the engine. A structure such as this can be readily operated because of its simplicity and the ease by which access may be had thereto,

thereby reducing the maintenance and servicing costs to a minimum. 7

Although I have illustrated but one form of my invention and have described in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that various modifications and changes'may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a crank shaft, valve operating-mechanism, a sleeve supported for rotation about said crank shaft and operatively connected with said valve operating mechanism, a crank shaft starter gear keyed to the crank shaft and movable longitudinally thereof, and driving means intermediate the starter gear and sleeve and which is rigidly carried by one and detachably connectedto the other.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a crank shaft, valve operating mechanism, a sleeve supported for rotation about said crank shaft and operatively connected with said valve operating mechanism, a crank shaft starter gear keyed to the crank shaft and movable longitudinally thereof, and driving means rigidly carried by said crank shaft starter gear and detachably connected to said sleeve.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a crank shaft, valve operating mechanism, a sleeve supported for rotation about said crank shaft and operatively connected with said valve operating mechanism, a crank shaft starter gear keyed to the crank shaft and movable 1ongitudinally thereof, and means intermediate the starter gear and sleeve and which is rigidly carried by one and detachably and adjustably connected to the other.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of ,a crank shaft, valve operating mechanism, a sleeve supported for rotation about said crank shaft and operatively connected with said valve operating mechanism, a crank shaft starter gear keyed to the crank shaft and movable longitudinally thereof, and a second sleeve rigidly carried by said crank shaft starter gear and detachably splinedto said first mentioned sleeve.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a crank shaft, valve operating mechanism, a sleeve supported for rotation about said crank shaft and operatively connected with said valve operating mechanism, a crank shaft starter gear keyed to the crank shaft and movable longitudinally thereof, and a separate driving element secured to one of said intermediate driving members and releasably connected with the other Y intermediate driving member.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a crankshaft, valve operating mechanism, a sleeve supported for rotation about said crankshaft and operatively connected with said i valve operating mechanism, a crankshaft starter gear operatively connected to said crankshaft and movable longitudinally thereof, and means carried by said starter gear and telescopically engaging said sleeve to thereby connect the crankshaft 

